Joaquín Castro

Texas Matters: There is finally movement on the government shutdown in D.C. but Democrats say it's not enough. While there is plenty of support for Prop. 6, the November ballot item to establish a water fund, there is also a strong current of opposition. Also on this show: GOP candidates in Texas try to stay true to fundamentals and appeal to Latino voters, and the future of execution drugs used in Texas.

San Antonio Congressman Joaquín Castro is urging his fellow congressmen to get past "hostage politics" of the past few years to avoid a government shutdown and also emphasized the importance of the Affordable Care Act.

Castro said the current stalemate over the federal budget has already had detrimental effects on the health of the country, saying the fiscal fights are giving the nation a case of high blood pressure:

A recent Fort Sam Houston ISD Cole High School game found the cheerleaders, pep squad, and band all out in support of their team running plays on the field. And it's likely none of these kids had any idea that their education programs are being threatened by a governmental body that school officials say is not doing its job.

Congressman Joaquín Castro has been making the rounds in San Antonio this week while Congress is on recess. The congressman is talking about providing Americans with opportunities for success.

On Thursday he spoke to San Antonio business leaders about building an infrastructure of opportunity -- a term he coined before he ever got to Capitol Hill.

Castro favors a government that aligns itself to enable individuals to be successful. He spoke of his meeting earlier this week with small business owners who got help through the Small Business Development Center at UTSA.

The first term congressman from San Antonio expects to return from the congressional recess to a major decision about Syria within the next 10 days.

Congressman Joaquin Castro spoke to the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Thursday, and many people were curious about the Syrian situation. Castro said most Americans are not in favor of getting into a war in the embattled state.

"In fact, there was a poll done that showed only 7 percent of Americans would want to see boots on the ground in Syria," he said.